West Side Man Dies Following Kidnapping

A West Side man who called for help on his cellular phone while he was held captive in the trunk of a car set on fire by his abductors died of his injuries early today, police said.

Fidaro Richardson, 20, of the 5900 block of West Superior Street, was still alive when Maywood firefighters finally located his vehicle and opened the trunk. But he died a short time later at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, according to Sgt. Philip Greco of the Chicago police Grand Central Area detective unit.

"I keep thinking: what a terrible way to go," Greco said.

He said Richardson apparently died of burns and smoke inhalation, but the cause of death will be determined by the Cook County Medical Examiner's autopsy.

No arrests have been made, and no motive for the kidnapping has been determined, Greco said.

Richardson made several calls to his girlfriend from a cell phone that he was carrying, and in his last call he spoke to police officers who had been summoned by the girlfriend, according to Greco. But Richardson was unable to tell them where he had been taken.

"He was trying to give as much direction as he could, but he was in the trunk," Greco said. "He knew they had driven onto an expressway, and he knew they had exited the expressway, but that was about it."

Cell phone calls can be traced, but Richardson was not on the phone long enough to track him down, Greco said. It was not clear how firefighters finally located Richardson's car.

Greco said the incident began shortly after 11 p.m. Monday, when six men entered the apartment where Richardson lived with his girlfriend. According to the girlfriend, the men did not display weapons or get physical with Richardson, but they forced him to leave the apartment with them, Greco said.

Once outside, the men forced Richardson into the trunk of his car and drove off. Police said the abductors drove to the 600 block of North 21st Avenue, doused the vehicle with gasoline and set it on fire. They closed the doors of the car before they left, so the fire smoldered and filled the trunk with smoke, Greco said.